My research interests are focused on the biochemical events that facilitate long-term memory formation. Changes in neuronal architecture accompany long-term memory formation. Several lines of evidence suggest that the serine protease, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), serves as a modulator of learning-related synaptic plasticity. To better understand the molecular determinants of synaptic plasticity, my laboratory uses fluorescence microscopy and green fluorescent protein (GFP) technology to study the synaptic localization, distribution and secretion of tPA and other key neuromodulatory proteins at synaptic sites.
